Package elevating and distributing apparatus



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

Patentgd Jan. '7, I896;

INDREWBIGRANAM, PHUI'OUTKaWASKINTUN. D1;

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

F. O. MATTHIESSEN. PACKAGE BLB VATING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 7,1896.

ANtDRiW BSRAHAM. PHOTO-mun WASH l N GTO N, D c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. 0 MATTHIESSEN. PACKAGE ELEVATING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

NOI55Z,716. Patented Jam. '7, 1896.

flap? AN DREW H.6kAHAM. PHOTUUINQWASHINGTONI \lC 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

QNo Model.)

P. 0. MATTHIESSEN. PACKAGE ELEVATING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS. No. 552,716.

NiTEn STATES FRANZ O. MATTHIESSEN, OF IRVINGTON, NBHV YORK.

PACKAGE ELEVATING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,716, dated January 7, 1896.

Application filed June 25,1895. Serial No. 553,956. (No model.)

T0 at whom tom/cry concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ O. MATTHIEssEN, of Irvington, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Package Elevating and Distributing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This apparatus is designed for elevating and appropriately distributing the packages of sugar, salt, flour, coffee, or other materials which are to constitute the higher tiers of piles of such packages arranged in warehouses.

The apparatus consists of an endless carrier composed essentially of parallel sprocketchains connected to each other by transverse bars and wings extending perpendicularly from the plane of the carrier, and carried by means of sprocketchains on a system of wheels mounted in a stationary frame, extending at any desired angle from a point near the floor to the upper end of a vertical standard, and carried thence over another system of wheels mounted in a swinging frame pivotally connected to the upper end of said standard. The said system of wheels mounted on the stationary frame belongs to the elevating system, while the said system of wheels mounted on the movable frame belongs to the distributing system, by means of which objects elevated to a prescribed height by the carrier traveling upon the elevating system of wheels may be carried either to a higher elevation or maybe carried in a horizontal direction, or may be carried in a moreor less downwardly-inclined direction, Without be ing released from control until they are conducted to and delivered at their ultimate destination. This constitutes an essential characteristic of the invention which distinguishes it from the class of portable elevating devices by which objects are carried to a pre-.

scribed height and then discharged upon a more or less inclined chute, down which they are permitted to fall by gravity to their destination. The employment of such inclined chutes in connection with an elevator-belt would obviously be impracticable for the purposes for which the present invention is designed, because of the destructive effects upon the packages of sugar, salt, flour, &c., which would be likely to ensue if such packages were released from control and allowed to drop down the chute by their own gravity.

The apparatus is supported on a platform provided with casters to facilitate its movement to different parts of the floor. Above the said platform is a turn-table, upon which are erected the said standard and stationary frame which turn ona vertical axis by reason of the pivotal connection of the turn-table with the platform.

The apparatus will usually include a motor, preferably an electric motor, by means of which, when the apparatus is in use, the sprocket-chains may be kept continuously in motion. Means are provided for lowering or raising the swinging frame in order to adjust its free end from time to time with relation to the height of the uppermost tier of packages in the partially completed pile.

The weight of the swinging frame and obj ects supported thereon is prevented from tipping the apparatus over in part by the weight of the stationary frame and the objects thereon and, to the extent which may be necessary, by an appropriately-placed counterweight. The less steeply inclined the stationary frame is the less Will be. the amount of weight required to counterbalance the swinging frame and its load. The transverse wings onthe carrier will be made more or less wide and be arranged at greater or less distances from each other, as may be required by the degree of inclination of the stationary frame and by the sizes and shapes of the loaded barrels, boxes, bags or other particular packages for the piling of which the apparatus is to be employed.

In the accompanying drawings of an apparatus in which the invention is illustrated, the stationary frame is represented as so inclined that its lower end projects beyond the side of the turn-table opposite that upon which the standard is erected, and the counterweight is represented as carried in the stationary frame near its lower end.

It will be understood that the stationary frame may be more or less steeply inclined without departure from theinvention, which consists essentially in the employment of an endless carrier for elevating and carrying packages, at first along a fixed path to a prescribed elevation and thence laterally along an adj ustably-incl'ined path to prescribed points of delivery.

The accompanying drawings of an apparatus illustrating the invention are as follows:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the platform in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top view of the fixed inclined member of the carrier-frame and of the sprocket-wheels and shaft at the lower end thereof and affording a top view of the turntable. Fig. 3 is a top view of the driving-pulley and its shaft, together with the intermediate gearing for transmitting motion therefrom to the main sprocket-shaft, also affording atop view of the jointed member of the carrier-frame and the sprocket-wheels mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is a top view of a section of the carrier, showing several of the transverse bars and wings uniting the sprocket-chains. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the said wings. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation showing the extensible arms for raising'and lowering the swinging member of the carrier-frame, also showing the transverse and diagonal braces connectin g the two upright members of the stand ard. Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, of the upper portion of one of the arms for adjusting the swinging frame. Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken through the plane indicated by the dotted line so a: on Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is atop view of one of the hand-wheels for operating the extensible arms.

Onreferring to the drawings it will be seen that the platform A is provided with a suitable number of casters A to facilitate the moving of the apparatus over the floor of the warehouse in which it may be employed.

The turn-table B is provided on its under side with the vertical pivot B, which extends through a suitable box A in the platform and is held in place therein by the washer l3 and cotter B The pivot B constitutes the vertical' axis upon which the turn-table turns. In its under side near its periphery the turntable isprovided with casters B, turning on axes which are radial with relation to the axis B. Aflixed to the top of the turn-table B is the standard. C, composed of two vertical posts 0 0, connected to each other by transverse and diagonal braces.

The stationary carrier-frame D is composed of the two side members D D, which at their upper ends are bolted to the upper ends of the posts 0 C and near their lower ends are bolted to the uprights D D fastened to the top of the turn-table B.

A toothed wheel E (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) is bolted to the top of the platform and is engaged by the pinion E affixed to the lower end of a vertical shaft inserted through the turn-table, and provided at its upper end with the hand-wheel E by means of which the pinion E may be rotated and the turntable, together with the apparatus mounted thereon, may be manually turned upon the vertical axis afforded by the pivot B.

The swinging frame F is composed of two parallel members F F,which are connected to each other by a suitable number of transverse and diagonal braces F and F as illustrated in Fig. 3. At one end the swinging frame is hung on the sprocket-wheel shaft 1, having its bearings in boxes erected on the tops of the posts 0 C. At its free end the swinging frame is provided with boxes affording the bearings for the sprocket-wheel shaft 2.

The lower end of the stationary frame is also provided with boxes to afford the bearings for the sprocket-wheel shaft 3. The shafts 1 2 3 are each provided with two equidistant sprocket-wheels respectively adapted to engage two parallel endless sprocket-chains G g, which are connected to each other by the series 1-1 of transverse bars.

The sprocket-chain G is led over the main driving sprocket-wheel G, thence over the idler. sprocket-wheels G and mounted upon the swinging frame F, thence to and around the secondary driving sprocket-wheel G thence over the idler wheel G the adjacent end of the shaft of which is mounted in a yielding and resilient box carried in the arm G, extending diagonally downward from the top of the standard, thence to and around the sprocket-wheel G at the lower end of the stationary frame, and thence over the idler sprocket-wheels G and G mounted 011 the stationary frame to the main driving sprocketwheel G. Similarly, the sprocketchain g is led over the main driving sprocket-wheel g, thence over the idler sprocket-wheels 9 around the secondary driving sprocket-wheel g thence over the idler wheel 9 the adjacent end of the shaft of which is mounted in a yielding and resilient box carried in the arm 9, extending diagonally downward from the top of the standard, thence to and around the sprocket-wheel g at the lower end of the stationary frame, thence over idler sprocketwheels g and g", mounted upon the stationary frame, to the main sprocket driving-wheel g.

At suitable intervals the sprocket-cha in are provided with transverse wings H, against which packages which are being elevated rest. The sprocket-chains are represented in the drawings as being driven by an electric motor I, mounted upon a platform J which at one side is connected by the hingeJ to the turn-table, so that the weight, or a portion of the weight of the motor and platform, may be utilized to keep taut the driving-belt I, extending from the driving-pulley I upward to the pulley K, affixed to the shaft K, mounted on the stationary frame. A pinion K of relatively small diameter engages the relatively larger pinion L, affixed to the countershaft L, mounted upon the stationary frame, and the relatively small pinion L engages the rela tively larger pinion M, affixed to the countershaft M, also mounted on the stationary frame, and which has affixed to it the relatively small pinion M which engages the relatively large pinion N, affixed to the main sprocket-wheel shaft 1. This arrangement of intermediate gearing permits a high-speed electric motor to be employed. On the end of the shaft 1 opposite that to which the pinion N is aifixed there is aflixed a sprocket-wheel O, engaging a tightly-stretched sprocket-chain O, which is engaged by the sprocket-wheel O affixed to the shaft 2. By this means the sprocket-wheels G g on the shaft 1 and the.

tric motor, and that, if desired, the drivingpulley may be mounted upon a crank-shaft adapted to be rotated manually.

If desired, idler-wheels for supporting the sproeket-chains may be mounted upon the uprights D D as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 theswinging frame is represented as occupying a nearly horizontal position.

It is somewhat desirable that the platform and turn-table should be of relatively small diameter, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and in such case the lower part of the stationary frame will be provided with a box D or other object for containing a counterweight heavy enough to more than counterbalance the weight of the extended swinging frame and its load.

The swinging frame is supported at any desired angle by means of manually-adjustable struts P p pivoted at their upper ends to the side members F F of the swinging frame and deriving their support at their lower on ds from the platform of the apparatus. A convenient mode of providing for the required adjustability of the swinging-frame consists in making the supporting-struts longitudinally extensible and retractible-for example, as illustrated in the drawings, in which, as will be seen, the strut P is represented as composed of a relatively long screw-threaded bolt P, pivoted at its upper end to one of the side members of the swinging frame F and engaging a nut Q, contained in the upper end of a rotatable sleeve R, telescopically jointed at the bottom upon the stem S, the lower end of which is pivoted to the turn-table. Similarly the strut p is composed of the relatively long screw-threaded bolt 19, pivoted at its upper.

end to the other side member of the swinging frame F and engaging a nut q, contained in the upper end of a rotatable sleeve 1", telescopically jointed at the bottom upon the stem 8, the lower end of which is pivoted to the turn-table.

The rotatable sleeves R r are respectively provided with the hand-wheels R r and with the sprocket-wheels R? 1*, which engage the tightly-stretched sprocket-chain T. The two sleeves are thus geared together, so that by manually turning either of the hand-wheels R r the sleeves R 1' and the nuts Q q will be rotated simultaneously and to the same extent. It will be seen that by rotating the sleeves in one direction the struts P p will be elongated and the swinging frame consequently pushed upward, and by rotating the sleeves in the opposite direction the struts P 19 will be shortened and the swinging frame consequently lowered.

What is claimed as the invention is- 1. A portable package elevator and distributer consisting essentially of a movable plat form, suitable frame work supported thereon, an adjustable swinging frame having one end horizontally pivoted at a prescribed height upon said framework, means for supporting and adjusting the height of the free end of said swinging frame, two systems of suitably aligned wheels rotating upon parallel axes,the members of one of said systems mounted upon said framework and the members of the other of said systems mounted upon said adjustable swinging frame, an endless carrier adapted to travel along the path afforded by said wheels, suitable driving wheels for engaging and driving said endless carrier, and means for imparting rotation to said driving wheels.

2. In a portable package elevating and distributing apparatus supported upon a movable platform, the combination as herein set forth of an inclined non-adj ustable frame of prescribed height, a system of wheels mounted thereon, an adjustable frame adapted to swing outwardly beyond the vertical plane on one side of said platform, a system of wheels mounted upon said adjustable frame, an endless carrier traveling upon said systems of wheels, and a counterweight arranged near the lower end of said non-adjustable frame, as and for the purposes described.

3. In a portable package elevator and distributer a movable platform, a turn-table ver' tically pivoted upon said platform, a station ary frame erected upon and stationary relatively to said turn-table, a swinging frame horizontally pivoted upon said stationary frame at a prescribed height above said turntable, an endless carrier traveling in part upon wheels mounted upon said stationary frame and in part upon wheels mounted upon said swinging frame, means for supporting and adjusting said swinging frame, driving wheels for engaging and driving said endless carrier, and means for imparting rotation to said driving wheels.

4:. In a'portable package elevator and distributer the combination as herein set forth, a movable platform, a turn-table vertically pivoted upon said platform, a stationary frame erected upon and stationary relatively to said turn-table, an adjustable frame horizontally pivoted at one end upon said stationaryframe at a prescribed height above said turn-table, adjustable inclined struts for varying the height of the free end of said adjustable frame and for supporting the same from said. turn-.

table, systems of suitably aligned wheels rotating upon parallel axes and mounted upon said stationary and adjustable frames, an endless carrier traveling upon said systems of wheels, driving wheels for engaging and driv- IIO ing said endless carrier, a motor mounted upon said turn-table, and connections for transmitting power from said motor to rotate said driving wheels.

5. In a portable package elevating and distributin g apparatus, the combination as herein set forth of a movable platform, a turn-table vertically pivoted upon said platform, and hence rotatable upon a vertical axis, suitable framework erected upon and stationary relatively to said turn-table, a swinging frame horizontally pivoted at one end upon said framework, means for supporting and varying the height of the free end of said swinging frame, two systems of suitably aligned wheels rotating upon parallel axes, one of said systems mounted upon said framework and the other of said systems mounted upon said swinging frame, an endless carrier traveling along the path afforded by said systems of wheels, driving wheels for engaging and driving said endless carrier, means for effecting the rotation of said driving wheels, and means for manually adjusting said turn-table upon its vertical axis.

6. In a portable package elevating and distributing apparatus the combination as herein set forth of a horizontal I table, suitable framework erected thereon, a swinging frame having one end horizontally pivoted upon said framework at a prescribed height above said table, adjustable inclined struts for varying the height of the free end of said swinging frame and for supporting the same from said table, systems of suitably aligned wheels rotating upon parallel axes and mounted upon said framework and upon said swinging frame, an endless carrier traveling upon said wheels, driving wheels for engaging and driving said carrier, and means for effecting the rotation of said driving wheels.

F. O. MA'lT'lIIIESSEN. \Vitnesses:

A. M. JoNEs, E. GATTERER. 

